Chris Hacopian of Y-D . Cape League baseball Aug. 1 2025. Photo from USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Washington Nationals selected top batter Chris Hacopian, who became the number 11 overall pick for the 2026 Major League Baseball draft.

Hacopian hails from Texas A&M. He is from Gaithersburg, Maryland originally, and spent the first 2 seasons of his college career at the University of Maryland before transferring to College Station for his final year with the Aggies.

This year, he slashed .319/.405/.578, good for a .983 OPS, and walked 25 times compared to just 21 strikeouts across 195 plate appearances. He homered 11 times and drove in 41 runs as well. He was ranked as MLB Pipeline’s number 14 prospect in this draft.

Hacopian attended Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland, where he played baseball.

He continued to excel in the gamer during his freshman and sophomore years at Maryland State University. Hacopian transferred to Texas A&M, from where he was drafterd in the MLB.

Baseball runs in the family. Hacopian’s father, Derek, played college baseball at Maryland and was named the ACC Baseball Player of the Year in 1992. Hacopian’s brother, Eddie, also played at Maryland and graduated in 2025. His mother is Melissa Hacopian, who has cheered his son as he advanced his career in the sport.

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